El Niño and Austin Texas – Do You Have a Drainage System?

El Niño is coming to Austin Texas and with it will come plenty of rain and snow. El Niño is the term given to a condition where the surface water temperature of the Pacific Ocean is several degrees warmer than the average surface water temperature. This event is called “El Niño” which is translated as The Christ Child, named so since this event occurs during Christmas time near South America.

This warming of the surface water on the Pacific Ocean results in an increased number of rain storms. These storms first hit land in California then travel to the interior of the United States where Austin, Texas would be effected.

What does this mean for Austin?

Austin can expect a great deal more cloud cover, precipitation plus cooler temperatures, Read More Here . More rainfall means that your lawns and landscaping can get flooded and ruined if you do not have the proper drainage installed.

There are several types of drains that one can have installed. There are French Drains, which are perforated pipes buried in ditches beneath a layer of gravel, allowing water to flow in from above. Water then flows through the drain pipes out to the street or into drainage ditches. You can also have drainage grates installed in low lying areas of your lawn and landscaping which lead to drainage ditches. You might also consider a sump pump if your landscaping and/or home is built into a very low lying area.